Ignite
by Jessica Mitch
Summary: A Night Circus AU In the mysterious Circus of Dreams, there is a performer, a musical performer. A patron is taken immediately with her. Would he be able to catch her? Or would the circus take their chances away?


Hi, so this is a Puckleberry (with a bit of Boppet) fic for my friend Rosie AKA That Owl That Ships Puckleberry in Magic. It's her birthday today so HAPPY BIRTHDAY BB CAKES! I hope she enjoys this fic because Puckleberry is like her mating call or something. So yeah. This AU contains concepts and characters from The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and you should totally read that book because it isn't a book, it's an orgasm.

Also, if you follow Magic and you see this, I'm sorry and I'll get that chapter up next week at the latest I SWEAR.

Love lots!

P.S. There is a minor crossover within this AU with my Methur AU fic within this account. Just a heads up! :)

* * *

_Ohio, July 2002_

In a small town in Ohio, a circus stood almost dauntingly on what was once a blank space of grass. All around, even from the outlying towns, people went to see it. Its black and white tents were certainly different from the usual colours of a regular circus. Not only that, there was a sign up front that said _Opens at Nightfall, Closes at Dawn_. What kind of circus does that? The crowd seemed to ask as they surveyed its closed wrought-iron gates, its rippling tents, and its clock. They heard no sounds and saw no movement. All day, no matter how many times they "passed by", they saw no one and nothing that proved that there was even life inside the tents at all.

They just _had_ to visit the circus tonight.

By sunset, a large group of people – teenagers, adults, children, and people who called themselves "rêveurs" (followers of the circus, dressed in either black or white, and wearing something red to finish the outfit, to separate themselves from the circus) – stood by the gates. They watched in awe as the came to life in front of them. The lights on the gates began to shudder and sparkle. And with some crackling and sizzling, the light bulbs over the gate formed the sign in beautiful calligraphy. _Le Cirque des Rêves_ it said and the people began to clap before the gates opened on their own and the ticket booth, manned (or womanned, some may say).

"Le Cirque des Re – how do you even _say _that?" A tall, Mohawked boy, asked as he looked up at the sign as the crowd thinned into the giant tents.

"It's _Le Cirque des Rêves_, Puckerman." A high pitched voice said from behind him, sounding a little annoyed. A blond rolled her eyes as she approached with her boyfriend, another blond. Both of them were trailed by another boy, an obscenely tall and awkward one, who eyed the peculiar circus with a wary eye. "The Circus of Dreams." Kurt finished with a quirked eyebrow.

"Tell me again why we're bringing Gay Face along?" Puck asked Finn, turning Kurt's expression of mild annoyance to anger, stomping away to the circus, eager to get away from his step-brother's idiotic friend.

"Dude, don't be a jerk." Sam chided, pulling Quinn away to the ticket booth. She looked particularly miffed at the football player.

Puck smirked, enjoying the reactions he was getting and Finn punched his arm lightly. "He's my brother; I have to bring him around for some bonding…" He said, looking toward the silhouette of Kurt in the short distance. "Plus, Dad made me."

His friend snorted. "If we don't get into each other's way, I think the night'll be grand." Then he proceeded to go to buy some tickets, Finn trailed behind him. Puck tried to get in free by flirting with the ticket girl. Unfortunately for him, the girl just eyed them with a bored expression as if she was trying to convey "please stop embarrassing yourself, you're holding up the line" with her eyes. After at least three minutes of Puck shamelessly flirting, and failing miserably, he paid for the ticket, promising to get back to her and entered the main tent. After a few seconds of walking under a black and white hallway, Puck opened the second curtain and was greeted by a beautiful site – a white bonfire in a massive, black, intricately created, metal cauldron. He wasn't a guy who gasped a lot – he could watch Schindler's List without so much as an eye twitch – but the fact that it was a _white_ bonfire, a small intake of breath was called for.

"Wow." Finn echoed his thoughts beside him. They took a moment to take it all in. The smell of certainly delicious food being sold around the main tent, the sounds of people chatting and laughing, gasping and urging friends towards a particular tent to the left or the right, the sights of performers – fire dancers, moving statues, and the like (just small performers, the bigger ones have their own tents or halls), all wearing black and white, much like the circus – and from the distance they could spy two blonds and a brunet entering another tent with a few of those black and white and red people. He patted Finn's back and they shared a grin that said "let's go check this place out!" They began running towards an open flap to another tent (more specifically, the trapeze tent).

* * *

Behind the tents, in the places where the performers take breaks and mingle with their companions, a small girl gripped at her simple white dress consciously and ran her fingers through her newly blackened hair, feeling like she was about to vomit. It was a strange feeling, being nervous like this. She's been performing since she found out how to form words. Rachel Berry _never_ got nervous… Except for this. Being actually accepted into the circus was a dream come true. She even met the elusive proprietor! It was all so surreal the first few days of being in it, all the people, all the stories, all the impossibilities. She was happy she didn't hesitate on taking the job. She's been in rehearsals for two straight weeks and her time to shine was here. She would be the only other member of the circus to open their mouth and actually communicate to the patrons aside from Poppet, who ran the fortune telling tent. Her midnight slot was nearing. She looked at one of the clocks nearby: 11:50.

"You know it's never like you to be nervous, Rach." She jumped and screamed a little bit as Widget laughed. The tall red head walked towards her, clasping his hand on her shoulder. "You've done great in practice, everyone thinks so. And you've been performing since you were four – why so fidgety?"

"This is my big debut." Rachel said, looking up at her friend. "I don't want to mess it up." She shook Widget's hand off of her shoulder gently. She walked toward the open seam of the curtain of black and white and peeked through. "And there's a lot of rêveurs tonight too." She whirled around and she was a little annoyed at his smirk. "What if they don't like me?"

Widget snorted. "They'd be idiots not to like you."

"You really think so?"

"Yes."

Rachel blushed and grinned. "I'm going to hug you now." Widget laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Thanks, Widge."

"Sure thing, Rach." He chuckled, patting her back. They stood side by side the next five minutes. Widget's presence comforted Rachel's nerves and as soon as the clock hands pointed to the twelve, she had her normal performer attitude back. She moved herself out of the folds of the circus, as if she was a part of the circus that came to life. She walked to her stage, which was in the centre of the main tent. There stood a microphone and below it, the speakers. Rêveurs watched her with mild surprise. Never had they seen this girl before. Never had they seen this girl in black heels and white dress, walking up the stage that used to house a number of different performers.

As she climbed, a small crowd gravitated towards her curiously. Was she really going to sing? That's certainly a first for the circus.

Rachel smiled and bowed her head modestly, acknowledging the audience. The music began and she opened her mouth to sing the first words.

* * *

"Dude, that place was _sick_!" Puck said as they walked out of The Cloud Maze (a maze of suspended cloudlike structures moving upwards). "And did you hear that _shriek_ Hummel made when I pushed him off?" He shook with laughter, reliving the memory of the look of sheer terror on Kurt's face when he got pushed off one of the highest clouds. Luckily the bottom would cushion your fall. Still, Kurt had stomped out and disappeared from them after showing Puck his middle finger.

Finn just rolled his eyes. He decided to tolerate his best friend's attitude towards his step-brother. Besides, he figured it was just all for fun and Kurt overreacted just a little bit. "I'm going to get an earful after this, you know."

Puck scoffed. "Who cares?"

The two went back to the main tent, looking for these cinnamon twists everyone's been eating around them. As they waited at the line, Puck noticed a certain gathering of people around something behind the massive cauldron of white fire. He couldn't quite leave to check it out; it was just probably some stupid cat show like they saw earlier. Then there was music. He noticed two of those losers who follow the circus around look over their shoulders in shock, like they haven't heard music before. He saw them talk excitedly as they moved towards the crowd. He would admit, he was a little curious as to what they were so eager about. Just then, a voice filled the entire main tent.

Everyone froze. Even the slow moving statues that surrounded the centre circle stood very erect and facing the girl on the stage. All of them moved from different poses to face the stage during the last half hour towards midnight, knowing fully well what was about to happen. She sang in a voice that captivated the audience at the first note. It wasn't like anything they've heard before. The song was a slow one, clearly a Broadway classic that some heard before and some hadn't. She chose the song herself; she's been singing that song since she first heard it. The rest of her songs for her fifteen minute debut show were chosen by a few circus members. The rêveurs watched her with wide grins of approval. This new addition to the circus was amazing! She had a voice like no other and the song choice was spot on.

As the crowd grew and their expressions were lighting up, Rachel began to sing with a little more conviction than before.

Puck was mesmerized by the girl on stage. He had forgotten about his cinnamon twist, no matter how delicious the first bite was. He didn't even look at her like he would usually look at a girl (which was either boobs or ass). His eyes were transfixed at her entirety, the dress, the way she held the mic stand, her strange expressions, the way she stood. It was only when she stopped singing in between songs to bow a little that Puck began eyeing other parts of her body. It wasn't a very impressive rack but it was decent. And her legs were amazing for someone so tiny.

"She's amazing." Finn whistled and clapped before the performer began singing the next song.

"I saw her first." Puck said, masking his severe possessive voice with a grin and a playful shove on his friend's shoulder. They watched intently as the nameless performer sang song after song after song. She varied from Broadway classics to contemporary favourites that kept her audience waiting for more. But when she finally finished her all too brief set, she backed away from the microphone and she bowed deeply. She was met with more applause which she basked in for a moment before climbing down the stairs.

Puck only had a moment to collect his thoughts before he realized _Crap! I have to talk to her!_ He didn't even say anything to Finn; he just bolted around the crowd. He jogged with his head stretched to spy the girl in the crowd. Surely with his height he could spot her easily.

There she was, walking away with a few people eyeing her with appraising eyes. Puck hastened his gait as he checked out her backside, which was really perky, making up for her only just above decent boobs. "Hey!" He called when he neared her but she didn't seem to hear. She was still grinning to herself, like she couldn't believe she just performed on that stage. "Hey, Singer Girl!" He cupped his hands around her mouth, and again she didn't hear. He saw her disappear behind a fold in the circus and when he reached the place, there wasn't a seam in sight. It was strange and he groaned, frustrated at the freakishness of the circus. He kicked the fabric and turned away. He'll get his chance soon. Besides, the circus had to stay for a while. It wasn't just going to be there one night and disappear the next.

He mulled over her voice again (and surprisingly not the positions he was going to take her), wondering what'd it be like to sing with her.

"Did you get to talk to her?" Finn asked when Puck came back.

"No." Puck sighed and turned his head to the side of the circus she disappeared to. "But I intend to."

* * *

There was scattered applause when Rachel came back into the inner workings of the circus, making her giggle and curtsey. "Well done, Berry!" Melissa, one of the more voluptuous trapeze girls, as well as the only other red head in the circus aside from the Murray twins (Widget and Poppet), pulled her into a tight hug. "You practically had them eating out of the palm of your hand." Rachel was tossed around a bit, earning praise from the others. She felt more welcomed than she did the first day Bailey introduced her as an addition. She was certainly abuzz with glee, from the applause she got while she was on stage to the praise she got from her fellow circus people, Rachel Berry had a wonderful first night and she couldn't wait for her next slot (three in the morning, which would be her serenading the people walking by, she knew there wouldn't be much of an audience but she didn't really mind), as well as the following nights. But for now, she had a three hour break that she'll use to talk about her first night with Melissa over some herbal tea.

* * *

As the clock began to move to two AM, Puck and his friends walked out of the circus, yawning. The whole day drained them out completely and they couldn't wait to get back to their houses and rest. "You should've heard her!" Puck said to Quinn, Sam, and Kurt while they walked away to the general direction of their houses, which were thankfully near circus grounds. "She had an amazing set of pipes; it was easily the best thing about that circus."

"That's the same thing you said about the animated paper animals." Quinn pointed out. "Especially after the dragon shaped one spewed fire."

"And the magic show we went to afterwards." Kurt added.

Puck waved them off. They were right, the paper animals and the magic show were pretty freakin' awesome but there was just something about the girl who sang on stage that really stuck into Puck's head, which was strange since just singing and no stripping wouldn't usually stick in his head for long, especially with some more exciting tents in the circus. "I'm telling you, we should watch her sing again."

"Alright, alright." Quinn chuckled, amused by her friend's eagerness. "We'll go back tomorrow. I want to anyway, that circus just makes me want to go back for more. And we'll wait for her at midnight."

Of course, she wasn't there the next day. Due to the nature of her performance, she had a limited number of slots during the week. She would only appear at midnight and three two times a week, and appear at five AM during the weekends, right before the circus would close, as if to wish the patrons good morning with two beautiful ballads. During those times she wasn't there, she would help cook the treats the vendors would sell or she would watch some shows in the backstage. Puck didn't know that, so he waited all weekend, giving up as soon as it was one AM, figuring the nameless girl wasn't worth waiting for _that_ long. Being the ever so slightly thick headed jock that he was, he didn't notice the small sign that signified Rachel's schedule on the other side of the stage.

* * *

"I think you have an admirer." Bailey commented as he peeked through the folds of the tent. Rachel stopped mid-heel-onto-foot maneuver and the proprietor chuckled, looking out to the distance again. "I've seen him around. He's been hovering around your stage all weekend. He never does stay long enough to catch you though." By now, Rachel was standing behind Bailey, looking over his shoulder.

An admirer! She couldn't believe it! That's a complete first. No one's ever liked her at school, they said she dressed in fugly clothes and her type-A personality alienated mostly everyone after the first week of school. Having someone _admire_ her was a good confidence boost. Then her mind went overdrive, thinking of that admirer, the number one fan, so to speak. Then she thought about that person being there all the time but keeps their distance because they don't want to come out as a stalker though they're nearing that level. And then she'll sign their paper or something and they would do everything they can not to faint and flail. "Where?" She asked, excited to see someone who she will call "fan".

"The guy with the Mohawk." Bailey said.

Rachel's face fell a smidgen but hey, a fan's a fan. "I don't think of him as the type." She said, sounding somewhat hesitant. She's been singing mostly showtunes and pop ballads. He looked more of the type that went for country or punk or rock.

"Well, sometimes the patrons are just as mysterious as the circus itself." Bailey chuckled and patted her shoulder. She smiled up at him and looked out to the boy again. He was standing near the stage amidst the crowd. He turned to a blonde beside him and started talking and the girl looked amused. She must be the girlfriend and he was showing her around. "You've got three minutes, Rach." She nodded and turned back to survey the boy and his girlfriend. Just then another blond, a boy this time, appeared beside the girl, wrapping an arm around her. Mohawk boy punched his arm and they laughed at some unheard joke.

Rachel almost missed her cue.

She walked out of the circus folds, looking confident, nodding to her fellow performers as she made her way to the stage. There was applause waiting for her as her audience noticed her approaching the stage. Her eyes locked with who Bailey called her "admirer" and they were very lovely eyes. She barely broke eye contact until he grinned and winked at her. She flushed immediately and she focused on her walk to the stage. She inclined her head as she always did before the music started and she began to sing. Performing at the Circus of Dreams was the best thing that could ever happen to her. Sure her fame wouldn't be one in tabloids or TV but this was just as good. She's been to the circus many times when she was younger (her fathers were somewhat rêveurs themselves) and she envied the people who performed there – that they could be with the circus at all times and talk to the performers and maybe even watch the illusionist do some tricks in private. She still can't believe that she joined the circus. Never would she have ever thought that one rainy night while she was doing part-time singing for a summer job in a dodgy little café that the proprietor and his fortune teller would approach her and ask her if she could perform in the circus.

"Stop trying to peek up her skirt." Quinn whispered as the girl onstage lowered her head in a modest little bow as she neared the end of her set.

"You would try if you were a guy, with a skirt like that." Puck retorted, not taking his eyes off of the performer's legs. She didn't walk close enough to the edge of the stage for him to really have a glance, but he was content with her legs (though he wouldn't mind a good view of her panties).

"You're such a perv." Quinn rolled her eyes.

"Hey, at least I didn't bring you here by telling you 'hey I saw this girl with nice legs, let's go watch her'." He countered.

"Good point."

For her last song, she sang a sad, slow one, from a musical that Puck was _sure_ Gay Face talked about at some point in time, to which he threw a pie at his face. (Not the whole pie though because it would be such a waste.) It was something French – the musical, not the song. She sang with well brought out emotion that Puck was actually looking at her face now. He watched her eye the crowd with eyes that glass with unshed tears. _Why was she crying?_ Puck thought to himself and wondered if she was singing this song about someone in her past. (In reality, she could just cry on cue, she thought it would add to the effect. Also, she cries when she sings emotional songs like this, which she does every other night since she started.) He felt a small pang of jealousy that he shooed off easily. Then her eyes landed on his just as the song began to pick up a bit of tempo, probably nearing the end or a high note. He stared back, trying to win her over with his eyes because chicks dig that. She continued singing, her eyes still glassy and intense. Puck found himself a bit shell shocked that this tiny little number right in front of him shot back one of his best tactics. _Oh she's good._ He thought. _But…_ He smirked at her and she looked away immediately to belt out a high note. Puck had to hand it to her; she gave a pretty mean high note. (And yes, his mind did go to applications of that in bed.)

The crowd cheered as Rachel took her bows. Someone threw a flower to the stage, a pretty white daisy, probably coming from the girl in her father's arms, grinning up at her. She nodded at her and picked up the daisy as a sign of thanks. Without another word, she twirled around and walked down the stage. The crowd slowly dispersed as she walked away. She was feeling rather famous at the moment, holding the rose, reliving the cheers she got, and loving the spectacular walk away she was doing – of _course_ someone had to ruin it.

"Hi there." Puck stood right in front of her, making her stop before she walked right into him. She looked up and he grinned. She opened her mouth but then she closed it, knowing the rules. She side stepped him and soldiered on to the fold she was to disappear to. She tried to walk faster but he had longer legs so the effort was completely useless. "Hey, I'm just trying to talk." He obviously didn't understand the whole "we don't talk" thing the circus had. She tried very hard not to glare or roll her eyes since a patron's a patron – a fan's a fan. "I get it, you don't talk but I would like to take you out sometime – so we can talk and then maybe get to know each other more." Oh that smirk made it _very_ hard for Rachel to resist. Was he seriously flirting with her? The experience was a new. "C'mon, at _least_ tell me your name." He _was_ flirting! An attractive male was _flirting_ with her! _Suck on that, Santana Lopez._ She thought triumphantly.

However, though her mind was rejoicing this prospect, her body was awkward and desperate to get away from the tall, imposing boy and she eyed an opening in the circus folds to her right. She looked up at those eyes again and for a moment, she debated what she was going to do. She couldn't just _talk_ to him. What would she say? _Something stupid or dull, I figure. _She really didn't know what to do in a situation like this so she decided to run and ask for advice from Poppet for the time being. She faked left, making the boy turn immediately, anticipating it. She then scurried to the right, careful not to trip on her heels and disappeared right as the boy turned to see her do so.

"Damn." He kicked the ground, glaring at the fluttering wall she disappeared to. It's not like he couldn't just replace her with a taller, more voluptuous girl. That was as easy as pie (not that he knew how to bake pie). But now that she's run away from him, refused to talk to him, and just stared at him with those adorable brown eyes, Puck couldn't take that lying down. He simply _had_ to get her to talk (and then probably bed her) as soon as possible. She was a challenge and he was _oh-so_ willing to take it.

"Didn't get to talk to her?" Sam asked, him and Quinn both grinning at a dejected looking Puck who walked towards them with hands in his pockets.

"Yet," Puck said with a cheeky half-smile, "I didn't get to talk to her _yet_." He turned to look at the place she disappeared. "But I'll get to her sooner or later."

"You like this girl a lot, don't you?" Quinn smirked as they moved away from the empty stage and toward what other people called the Stargazer, something that was only open on clear nights like tonight.

Puck scoffed. "No I don't _like_ her. She's just a challenge, and I enjoy a good little challenge like that."

* * *

Rachel twirled her daisy absently as Poppet combed her hair for her. "Are you having a marvellous time in the circus, Rachel?" The older woman asked as she smiled at the dark haired girl's reflection. The question went a little unheeded as Rachel stared at the flower and couldn't help but remember those eyes of that boy… "Rachel?" Poppet asked again, concerned.

"What?" Rachel looked at the reflection and Poppet smiled.

"Something distracting you, my dear?" She asked, stroking her hair gently.

"…No." She said slowly, glancing at the flower before placing it back into its tiny vase. "You asked me something?"

Poppet laughed. "Yes, I did… But you seem to have something else in mind." She leaned down and grinned. "Is it that admirer?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Did Bailey tell you?"

"Of course." She winked. "Now tell me everything." She moved to face Rachel and sat on the dresser, looking very much like a mother that Rachel never had.

"He was hot." Rachel answered, shrugging, like it was very insignificant. Poppet kept on grinning, making Rachel giggle and eventually laugh. "God! His eyes, Poppet! They were gorgeous. And those muscles under his shirt!" The two ladies gushed about the boy with the Mohawk. The younger of the two feeling a little less troubled by his existence and his early attempt to talk to her. It was nice having someone to share it to. She didn't know how long they talked but soon, there was a knock on Rachel's door and she gave the permission to enter. Bailey peeked in with a sleepy grin.

"Hey ladies." He said. "Poppet, I think Rachel needs her rest at some point."

Poppet rolled her eyes before inclining her head to kiss Rachel's hair. "He's right, you need to rest. After all, what's a nocturnal circus if its inhabitants stay awake in the morning as well, hm?" She stood up and walked to the door. "Good morning, Rachel."

She never did get used to that after a while in the circus. "Good morning, Poppet, Bailey." The couple left the room and Rachel reached over to turn off the lights that surrounded her dresser and promptly dropped herself to bed.

* * *

Outside, Bailey and Poppet walked to their room, hand-in-hand. "So her admirer tried to talk to her after her first set." She said after a moment of silence.

"He did, did he?" Bailey replied curiously, opening the door of their room, gesturing for Poppet to enter first. She laughed and curtseyed before entering the room. Even after the turn of the century, some habits just refuse to die down.

"Yes, he did." She asserted. "I think it's absolutely sweet. It kind of reminds me of this one boy I knew all these years ago." She shot him a sly smile as he untied his tie. He smiled back. Still young looking even if his age greatly surpassed his looks (same with her), which meant the spell surrounding the circus was as strong as ever. She walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. He pressed a quick kiss on her head. "A boy who was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be."

Bailey laughed at the memory. "Do tell." They looked at themselves at the round mirror nearby, eyes glowing and swimming in memories that had happened so many years ago. Slipping through the gates, getting lost in the inner workings of the circus, bumping into each other, the glove, the dare… It was a long time ago but Bailey and Poppet remembered it like it was yesterday. Their still youthful faces – faces that didn't betray their true age – shared a look through the mirror's reflection. A sort of nostalgia. "Was he a strapping young fellow that swept you away? A fierce, brave faced boy that didn't care he was somewhere he wasn't allowed?"

Poppet laughed. "No, he was a tiny thing that stole one of my gloves and grew up to tend sheep." Very minute lines appeared near Bailey's eyes from smiling too broadly. She hugged him tighter. "But he was very nice to me. And very nice to the circus."

"I bet he was." He held one of Poppet's hands and twirled her in a slow circle before making her spot right in front of him. He leaned down to press their lips together quickly. Poppet made a small, happy sound, like a short combination of a sigh and a chuckle with her mouth closed. "Do you think this boy is good for Rachel?"

"We shall see, shan't we?"

* * *

Puck relented the next couple of performances now that he knew her schedule (Quinn pointed out the sign as he complained, "how am I supposed to make her want me when I don't even know when the hell she's going to come out of the damned circus?") He tried all he could to talk to her, try to make her go out with him for a cup of coffee, breakfast, maybe a quick make out session at the Ice Garden tent, or even a quick walk into that Labyrinth thing that just didn't seem to end with those doors and rooms. But no matter what he did (he gave – mostly threw – her a bouquet of roses after one of her performance) or said ("You're hot, I'm hot, we should totally make out") the singer didn't do much except blush, glare a little, and chuckle at his advances. It _exasperated_ him. If he couldn't get the power performer at a silly (but completely amazing) circus, how can he face the other girls in the city? He couldn't. So if he could just get one kiss, a few sentences that indicated that she had the hots for him too, he'll get over with his life. And he had one last plan up his sleeve.

* * *

It wasn't like Rachel wasn't _attracted_ to her so-called "admirer". In fact, she was _very_ attracted to him, even if he was a bit crude and improper and perverse. She was sure there was a soft interior under all of that intense cover of masculinity. There were two things hindering her and him, though. For one, the circus was leaving soon and it would be _way_ too long until they go back to Ohio that was for sure and she didn't want to get too attached. For another, she really didn't know how to respond exactly, all get could think of during those attempts were "walk, walk, walk, walk, wow his arms are lovely, walk, walk, walk, do I say something, walk, walk, walk, where's that fold, walk, walk, walk, damn it Berry, say something, walk, walk, walk, escape, wow you're an idiot." She just couldn't do it. What if she said something foolish? What if the moment she opens her mouth she intimidates him with her precise manner of speaking and type-A personality? The thing was, she was far too afraid of these mostly improbable possibilities that the moment she gets the courage to speak up, she's already behind circus fabric. Poppet and Widget both agreed she was insane as they rode the Stargazer one night, looking up at the beautiful night sky as they went on a slow circle inside a carriage that laid down slowly when the ride started. Everyone agreed. It was embarrassing. She promised herself the next time he tries, she'll talk to him.

And she would have no choice, in fact.

* * *

Rachel was in the middle of her second to the last number and she was a little disappointed when she didn't see Mohawk boy among the audience. Had he finally given up because she was too skittish to talk? She thought so and even if she disliked feeling it, she felt sad that he wasn't there to see her during her last performance in Ohio. But she continued to smile for her current audience; some familiar faces flitted by her vision. She bathed in their cheers and inclined her head slightly. Just as the next few notes of the last song started playing, someone jumped onto the stage, jolting her, making her nearly scream. A strong hand steadied her and she looked up to see the Mohawk boy.

"Hey, babe." He winked. "Thought you might like some help with your last song tonight." She looked down and was surprised to see a guitar in his hand. Just then, Melissa, with her hair all pinned up into a black hat, scurried through the crowd, grinning madly as she brought an extra microphone stand. But it wasn't for the boy himself, it was for his guitar. She adjusted the height of the stand. The boy looked taken aback – this wasn't part of the plan but he was glad that the girl's circus friends liked the idea of a surprise double act. He plucked his strings and it was heard loud and clear. The crowd looked up with surprised and expectant expressions.

Puck started playing a song, an old, famous _Queen_ song that he was sure everyone was at least familiar with, even her. He saw the recognition in her eyes and his smile grew wider as he sang the first words. After a quick instrumental with his adept guitar playing, she chimed in with her perfect little voice. She nodded at him whenever she wanted him to sing and he sang, feeling quite happy to be given the opportunity. Their voices sounded just freakin' perfect together, in Puck's opinion. And she was more beautiful up close and singing like this. As if her voice didn't give him chills before, being _this close_ made him want to shudder every time she hit a note and her voice quavered as she held it for a moment. And he was happy to see that she looked like she was enjoying herself with the impromptu number. They finished the song with a grand flourish of vocal prowess. The crowd cheered for them and they turned to each other, panting. They smiled.

Puck offered his hand as people threw flowers to the stage. She barely hesitated and grabbed the bigger hand. He raised it up as high as she could reach and they bowed. He heard her giggle and sounded like the best damn giggle he's ever heard – and he's heard a _lot_ of giggles. He helped her gather the flowers and he walked her towards her fold.

As he was handing her the rest of her flowers, he said, "My name's Noah Puckerman, you call me Puck."

"Rachel Berry." She said and it was nice to finally know her name. "Pleased to meet you, Noah." Even when she was speaking, her speaking voice had a certain musical twang to it that he didn't really want to delve into because it made his head swim with these cheesy things he's heard from movies his mom and sister made him watch. Aside from that, she called him Noah. Only his mom and nana called him that. He liked it.

"Do you wanna go talk somewhere, I don't know, more private?" He said with a suggestive wiggle of the eyebrow.

Rachel giggled, looking up at him. "Sure. Meet me outside the circus in a few minutes. I have to put these into a vase." She hefted the bunch of assorted flowers in her arms. She turned to go but Puck held her arm, she laughed. "Let me go, Noah."

"Only if you give me a kiss." Puck grinned, making Rachel want to bury her face in the flowers from all the butterflies causing giggles to bubble in her throat.

"I just met you." She retorted.

"Doesn't matter." He shrugged. "Kissed loads of girls before and I didn't even know their names yet." Rachel smacked her bunch of flowers on his arm and disappeared into the circus, giggling as she did. Puck fist pumped into the empty air and left to wait outside.

* * *

The next day, Puck was standing in front of an empty expanse of land that bore no mark that the circus was even there last night. Like the circus itself was just a dream that everyone had and enjoyed and it was time for them to wake up. A few people stood around the land, bewildered, wondering where the circus was and how it left without any of them noticing. He could almost see them sitting by the sidewalk. Her in an outfit that his nana would've picked out for his sister, him with his guitar lying on his lap, just talking the night away until her next slot at three in the morning. She told him this would happen, that when he woke up they wouldn't be there anymore. What sucked more was that he tried to kiss her before she made him stop just to tell him the news. He wasn't sad. Puck didn't _do_ sad, especially not over a girl. He just simply refused to believe her when he woke up and when he did arrive he simply refused to feel anything outside his regular circle of feeling. It just sucked. It sucked so badly. But there was nothing they could do about it. Unable to look at the empty space anymore, he turned around and walked away.

Somewhere in a train, an impossible train, in the countryside, Rachel sat by the window, watching the sun rise from the horizon. She couldn't sleep. She didn't feel like sleeping. She just kept thinking about Noah (_Puck, he insisted, I don't know why, Noah is such a nice name_) and how they almost kissed and that expression he had when she told him that the circus was leaving. It was like telling a kid Christmas was cancelled. It gave her an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She relented, reminding herself that Noah would get over her quickly and _she_ should do the same. With that, she pulled the blinds of her window and plunged her room into semi-darkness.

* * *

_New York, October 2008_

"Got somewhere you need to be, Puckerman?"

A man with a Mohawk that suited him well turned around from the clock and grinned at his boss, he grew a few inches the last six years, had a few hundred conquests, saved enough money to move to New York just to get out of that hick town and see if he could make his guitar get him money. He ended up getting a job at a café called _Sip It _where he earned extra whenever they perform for the customers. The coffee was crap, but the cakes and the performers were good, which is why they even _had_ customers.

"I asked you a question." His boss said again as he walked behind the counter to deliver dirty dishes to the kitchen.

"Didn't you hear? The circus is in town!"

The circus stood, black and white and clock and all, right outside city limits, where there was enough grass and free space to go around. It was about an hour walk for Puck. Twenty minutes if he took a cab. He was feeling rather extravagant that night, so he took the cab. Even in the dim light, he could see the very outline of the circus as the cab neared its destination. He felt the same sort of excitement he had years ago and he wondered if anything changed. When the cab stopped and he got out, he looked up at it, from top to bottom. He didn't think he was going to see the Circus of Dreams ever again, not since Ohio. He filed in with the other patrons and he was surprised to still see those people in black, white, and red, wondering why that was still a "thing" after all those years. He figured they would give up.

Inside, he was assaulted by the same visuals, the same smells, the same sounds. All the same but imperceptibly different at the same time. The circus hardly changed, really. He walked around alone, flirting for some free chocolate mice along the way. He watched a few shows, went into some tents. He even went back to the Cloud Maze and reminisced about that short couple of weeks with Finn and the others. He even actually kinda missed Gay Face – _I mean Kurt _– too. While he was lying on one of the highest clouds, he checked his watched then promptly rolled over to fall to the bottom. Who had time to find a way to climb down when it was nearly midnight?

Puck got to the main tent on the dot and people were already standing around the stage. He smiled. _So she's still here._ Before he could actually approach the stage, the music suddenly filled the tent. It didn't come from just the stage anymore; it came from places around the tent. He looked around for speakers but he didn't find any in his line of sight. Apparently, the other patrons seemed to be doing the same, looking around for the speakers. And they were looking for the performer, who seemed to be missing from the stage. Then there it was – an abrupt intake of breath and the first words of the song. A light shone at one side of the circus folds that flew apart to reveal the same tiny singer in a black dress and a white sash around her waist. Puck noticed her new bangs.

It was one of those Broadway sounding numbers that she obviously had a fondness of. Rachel walked out of the folds as they closed again. She already had the crowd captivated with her voice, easier than before, Puck noted. She certainly had more charisma now and the song choice was spot on. She played with the crowd as she sang, singing to some kids watching her, holding some sweets. She even twirled some guy's hair, winking at him before she was off to entertain others. She sang the song like she was just _talking_ to people, going up to them like they were friends catching up, like she was this salesperson trying to get them to buy something. Puck had to admit, it was pretty hot. She wove through patrons as the spotlight followed her easily (he didn't know how it was doing it). As she neared the end of the song, she started climbing up her stage as she belted out jaw dropping high notes. And boy did this song have a lot of high notes. But she did them properly, beautifully even that the crowd started cheering even before the song ended.

When it did, she was winded, panting on stage. Still, she had a huge grin on her face. Puck walked near the stage, as near as he could get with all those people already there. He clapped as well. Rachel saw him in the audience and he didn't think she'd recognize him but when they locked eyes, her grin faltered for a short moment, like she didn't really think it was him. Then her smile grew wider and she gave him a short nod of acknowledgement. Puck winked, glad she still knew him.

Rachel had an added five minutes to her tiny slot, which wasn't really much but then again she was singing nonstop. Her song choices broadened slightly, adding more flare to the whole thing. Time to time she would glance to where Puck was and they would always have eye contact. She felt feelings she hadn't really felt since she last saw Puck. She didn't think she was going to see him ever again… And she was kind of glad to see him now. He still had that silly Mohawk on and on other men it might've looked boyish and immature but on him it looked very sexy. When she found herself thinking that, she _had_ to look away, like he could see her thinking about it just by looking at her. _He's a distraction, Berry. Head in the performance!_ She shook her head subtly and turned her attention away from Puck for the time being. She knew she had gotten better (which surprised even her because she honestly thought it wasn't going to get any better than _that_) and she revelled in it – in the louder cheers, the thundering claps, the emotion she was able to invoke to her audience. She's lived for the stage all her life and the circus was definitely her favourite.

The moment she stepped off her stage, flowers and cheers and all, Puck was there, grinning at her. This action elicited murmurs of excitement between the patrons. But Rachel smiled readily and walked toward her next destination, behind circus folds. Puck followed her. "Hey, babe, long time no see."

"It's good to see you too, Noah." She replied, looking up at him. Six years later and he was still able to make her blush.

"Admit it, you missed me." Puck teased, wrapping an arm around her waist. People were definitely looking now but the singer just pushed him away, laughing. He tried for her waist again. "Aw, Rach, don't be like that."

"Noah!" She giggled. "People are _watching_." She hissed.

"So? People watch you all the time."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Smart ass." She said.

Puck had managed to make her agree to go around the circus with him, supposedly tempting her with a free cinnamon twist which she could get for herself if she wanted to. But she just laughed that one off. She had to ask Bailey for permission, of course, but the proprietor immediately allowed her before she even got through her well-rehearsed speech. It was both annoying _and_ relieving. She lost no time going to her room and changing out of her circus costume. The patrons would know it was her but she just couldn't go out there with her costume – that would be _ghastly_. When she looked at herself in the vanity, she sighed. Having been in the circus hadn't improved her casual wardrobe much. She thought about it as she smoothed down a plaid skirt and straightened her red sweater. But it was as good as it was going to get. Besides, she didn't forget Puck mentioning in passing that he thought her legs were very hot so the shorter the skirt, the better. She giggled to herself when she thought of it. The mere thought of seduction, however mild it may be, was so exhilarating since she hadn't done it to anyone before.

Rachel met him right in front of the white bonfire. He was holding an empty wrapper of a cinnamon twist, munching on it probably, judging by the bulge of his mouth. She smiled as she approached him, stopping a foot away. "Noah." She said and he turned to her, swallowing the half-eaten cinnamon twist in his mouth.

Puck looked at her up and down. It wasn't the best choice of clothes, he had to admit but on her it looked pretty damn good. It also made her legs look awesome so he didn't really mind. He _did_ have to be careful not to look down too much. There might've been a six year gap but if he stared at her legs for too long, he had a feeling Rachel would slap him. "Hey." He said, grinning now, sure that his teeth weren't covered in cinnamon chunks. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and began to walk to the illusionist's tent. "C'mon the show starts in a while. There are still a couple of chairs at the back." By now, a considerable number of people were watching them, the singer and the patron walking around with the patron's arm around the singer's shoulders. Neither of them cared.

"Oh fun!" She clapped a little, feeling a little giddy from the amazing set she just did a few minutes ago and the fact that Puck had his arm around her. "I love Merlin's shows; I watch them while I can manage." That too.

"His name is seriously Merlin?" Puck chortled, steering her to the direction of the tent.

"Yes. Yes it is." She replied. "We're really good friends."

"Should I be worried?" Puck teased, knowing from Rachel's smile that he shouldn't. And Rachel's laugh – a laugh that made the question sound completely absurd now – just strengthened that thought. "Good." He added as Rachel continued to laugh a beautiful laugh.

The next couple of days were a little tiring, but in a good way. Puck still had work and he was already on his final warning, if he gets fired it'll probably take a while for him to get another job. Rachel had a few slots during the night and she tried her best to squeeze in some fun times with Puck. She tried to take him around tents that he hadn't really visited, talked about the inner workings of the circus (though she wouldn't tell him its true secrets), rode the magical, breathing carousel with him, and basically just showed him around, giving him a new perspective on the circus. She enjoyed the times she had with him because she knew it was limited.

* * *

During an inclement weather problem and the circus was closed for the night, Rachel decided to explore New York for a bit. With a sense of longing as she walked down Broadway and Times Square, she resigned herself with a sigh. She would _like_ to be part of a Broadway cast but the circus was good enough for her. It would be hard in the real world but it would really boost her fame power and it would make her known beyond the patrons of the Circus of Dreams. They would know her name, not her circus' name. But alas, it was probably not meant to be. As the wind picked up, she needed to find shelter, and she did in the form of a small café near the end of the city. She came in and put her umbrella on the rack. It wasn't very warm so she kept her coat. She ordered some hot chocolate and a cheesecake and found a tiny seat near a window but before she could sit down, a little girl came up to her and asked for autograph, being one of the girls she sang to last night at the circus. She smiled and talked to the girl signing her seventieth autograph that year. When the little girl left, she sat down. For a few moments she just sat down, thinking of how many days are left until the circus would leave, thinking about Puck… Then she heard him.

Rachel turned her head and found the familiar Mohawk right by the counter. He was flirting with the barista as she put whip cream on what must've been her hot chocolate. Jealousy shot through her as she glared at the two of them laughing and _touching_ each other. He took the tray of cake and chocolate from the counter and she saw him wink at the barista. Rachel nearly threw the table. "Hey, babe." Puck said, grinning at her. It took her a full two seconds (two seconds too long) to get away from her glaring-at-the-barista moment and turned to him with a sheepish smile.

"What?" She asked as Puck grin grew broader. He sat down as he set down the tray.

"Are you jealous?" He said with a knowing smirk on his face. All Rachel wanted to do right now was ki – _slap_ that expression off his face.

She huffed indignantly. "What? No!"

"You know we're past lying to each other, Rach." Puck teased, nudging his foot against hers. She rolled her eyes and he felt slightly annoyed. He took her hot chocolate and her cheesecake from the tray and onto the table. "You know," he began, "it's not like I can't flirt with anybody since, you know, we're not together or anything." He said as a matter-of-factly, not exactly mean, not exactly sad. Rachel nodded.

"Sorry." She mumbled, feeling a little guilty. She wasn't _allowed_ to be jealous because they _weren't_ together. It was stupid thing to do, being jealous of a girl who did nothing else to her except flirt (_or maybe even had _sex_ with him for all I know_) with someone who she liked in particular. Not that she _mooned_ over him for six years (ten months and three weeks) or anything.

Puck laughed. "Hey, enjoy your cheesecake babe. I get off my shift in like twenty more minutes. I could," he raised an eyebrow suggestively as he stood up, "_show_ you around." As _much _as she wanted to, she didn't think she was really ready for being _shown_ around in a very Puck way. Oh but she laughed – not only because she liked flirting with him, that she liked him, but because it was just so funny when he said it. Funny because the butterflies in her stomach somehow came in contact with her throat, their wings tickling ever so slightly so she would start to giggle. Puck grinned, enjoying the reaction.

They waited for the rain to die down into a drizzle then Puck took her out for a walk. It was a very innocent walk (as innocent as it could get with Puck). He showed him around the neighbourhood and he seemed to know the fastest way to Broadway, Times Square, and Central Park – they went to all of those places. Rachel was used to being awake at this time but the way Puck was drifting in and out of conversation; she decided to bring him home.

"Stay with me tonight." He whispered into her hair as they neared his apartment building.

"Noah, I –"

"No, no." He countered, holding both of her shoulders. She stared up at him and he stared back with half closed eyes. His filter was fading fast and he couldn't stop what he was saying. "We – we don't have to do it. We don't have to have sex." He ran a hand through her hair and rested on her cheek. She quivered under his touched, new to the feeling, excited because it was Noah. "Just sleep with me, just let me hold you under the blanket, feel you beside me, be there when I wake up. Just sleep with me tonight, Rachel." He didn't know what kind of shit he was saying. It just felt right to say those words. Finally, in a moment of boldness, Rachel leaned up, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him very, very lightly. She shrunk down when she realized what she had done. But Puck wrapped a finger under her chin and tilted her head up. He smiled an encouraging smile and they met in the middle of the kiss.

They walked up to apartment 3F. There they kissed some more, starting from the moment Puck closed the door. He whirled Rachel around and pressed her against the door. He kissed her sleepily, not bothering to try and stick his tongue down her mouth like he would if he was more awake. But he just kissed her softly as he pushed her coat off her lithe shoulders, as she kicked her heels off and as he pulled his feet away from his sneakers. He brought her to the room quickly, not wanting to be separated from those lips any longer. He pulled her into the bed and with a barely hidden giggle, she pulled him into the kiss again. They rolled in the bed for what seemed like hours and neither of them realized when they fell asleep.

The sun beat down on Puck's eyes. He shifted in the bed, scrunching his face, turning away from the offending brightness. His arm suddenly rested on another form. It took him a moment to remember how to open his eyes and then he saw Rachel, sleeping beside him. Or resting because the moment he shifted again, she opened her eyes, already alert. "Good morning." She whispered. He didn't reply he just kissed her. He felt her smile against him and she pressed her hand on his face.

They pulled away, breathless. Puck reached up to hold the hand on his face and they smiled. "You know…" He wondered aloud, bringing their hands between them. Rachel made an inquiring sound, making him continue. "You have really cute hands."

Then they walked to the kitchen to make breakfast.

* * *

Was there a happy ending to this story? When one leaves and the other stays? How was that going to work? They could live without each other but they didn't want to. They could stay apart but it would hurt too much. Would the girl leave her beloved job, her beloved family away from family for a guy?

She wouldn't. She knew that the circus, her career was a priority and it seemed like Puck knew that too.

Would a fairy godmother come to save the day? Or will the spell continue to hinder the prince and the princess's budding love?

* * *

Puck stood beside the empty grounds, looking at the green, green grass. It was as if the circus never came. It left like it just vanished into thin air. Who knew when he would see Rachel again? Who know what he would be like when that time comes? How old was he going to be? But he tried to shrug it off again. He did. He did it with all the other women he slept with (albeit he didn't really _sleep_ with Rachel but still) why couldn't he do it with Rachel? He had to give it up and get over it, screw the next girl he found just to clear his thoughts. Again, it started to rain a little bit, reminding him of the two days before when they slept in his bed and made breakfast the next morning. He sighed; he took one last look at the empty lot and started the slow walk back to the city.

"Noah." He stopped in his tracks, he slowly looked up to see Rachel, standing there with an umbrella up and ready.

"You're still here…" He said, surprised. "But…The circus…"

Rachel shook her head; she glanced at the empty space for a few seconds before turning her eyes toward him. "They left without me."

"I thought you said that your career came first." He asked almost accusingly as he walked towards her, careful that it might've been a mirage brought on by sleep deprivation. That one step might cause her to disappear. "I even understood that."

She smiled and walked toward him, proving she wasn't a mirage as she touched his arm and brought him under the umbrella. "That night when we said goodbye, I walked back to my room to find the proprietor, his wife, and a man in a suit. They looked all excited to see me there and I wondered why they were there. Apparently the man, Mr. Michael Ozera, is some sort of big time Broadway agent who has been asked to recruit me for a few shows on Broadway. He said he watched me perform a couple of times and he thought I would be perfect for the stage. At first I didn't want to leave the circus since I've been there for almost seven years but Bailey and Poppet insisted. So here I am." She shrugged, finishing the story. She would miss them but the offer was too good for her to really deny.

"So you're going to be on Broadway." Puck said, as if he didn't hear here say anything. He just wanted to be sure that this wasn't some dream he was dreaming and that he was really just passed out on the sidewalk.

"Yes, I'm staying and I'm going to be on Broadway." She nodded, feeling a bit of laughter clawing up on her throat. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a searing kiss, more passionate than the ones they've ever shared. He was allowed to now and as much as he liked a challenge, someone hard to get, it felt so much better to get someone who wanted to get him back. Rachel giggled against his lips and held his face in her hands, dropping the umbrella. Their blood burned with new heat and they were panting hard as they pulled away. Their cheeks burned and Rachel fumbled for her umbrella.

Puck wrapped an arm around her waist and took the umbrella from her cute hands, holding it over their heads. "So, where are you staying?" He asked.

"I was given an apartment upon agreeing to stay. It's a couple of blocks away from Broadway." She blushed. "Do you want me to," she wrapped an arm around his waist as well, "show you around?" Puck laughed.


End file.
